Automatic firearm.



No. 728,739. PATENTED MAY IQ, 1903. F. BITTER VON MANNLIGHER.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H0 MODEL.

Inventor mum/Hana 110M 7 vM .fll'i'orneym mmessest No. 728,739. 7PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.. F. BITTER VON MANNLIGHER. AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, 1902. .NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l'lIIIIIIII/ll UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

' SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 728,739, dated May19, 1903.

Application filed December 22,1902. Serial No. 136.262. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FERDINAND RITTER VON MANNLICHER, engineer, a subjectof the Emperor of Austria-Huugary esidingat Vienna, in the Empire ofAustria-Hungary, have invented certain new aud useful Improvements inSmall-Arms Having Automatic Breech Action; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in that kind of an tomatic guns,rifles, and pistols and small-arms in general having a movable barrel, abreech-bolt closure, and a tumbler locking-bolt.

I will ,describe my improvements with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through thebreech-closing mechanism and the lock of a firearm according to thepresent invention, the breech being closed and locked. Fig. 2 is asimilar view with the breech open. Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevationsshowing the tumbler locking-bolt in the locking and unlocking positions,respectively, the breech-casing being indicated in dotted lines and thefront half of the fixed framing being omitted. Fig. 5 is a transversevertical section along the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, parts being shown inelevation, looking from the barrel end, the breechbolt and thebridge-piece being omitted, the framing being shown in section, and thebreech-casin g being indicated in dotted lines.

' Fig. 6 shows in side elevation a modification of the tumblerlocking-bolt. Fig. 7 shows in side elevation, the breech-casing beingomitted,- the breech-bolt, together with the lever, for safe locking thefiring-pin. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 0 D of Fig. 7 looking fromthe forward end of the breech-bolt, the firing pin being omitted. Fig.9shows to an enlarged scale sections on the line I K of Fig. 8 throughthe rear end of the breech-bolt for the purpose of illustrating the twopositions of the bolt for safety locking the firing-pin.

In firearms of this kind the barrel 1, together with the breech-casing2, is capable of moving longitudinally against the pressure of a. spring5 in a framing 11, which is fixed to the stock 3 and which carries thelock-casing, together with the magazine-box 4. Atter the shot is firedthe barrel is moved by the recoil from the position shown in Fig. 1 backinto the position shown in Fig. 2 and at first with the breech-bolt 7,while as soon as the barrel has been brought to rest by striking againstthe lock-casing the breech-bolt continues its motion by reason of itsinertia in opposition to the pressure of a spring 6 until it also hasassumed the position shown in Fig. 2. In this movement the breech-boltwas hitherto compelled to depress the tumbler locking-bolt by means of abeveled portion formed at its rear end, the said tumbler locking-boltitself bearing with-its under side on a beveled part on the upper sideof a bridge-piece 19 in the lock-casing. The fact that the breech-boltitself had to depress the tumbler locking-bolt in order to efiect theunlocking was prejudicial to the secure and reliable action of thebreech closing and locking mechanism. By the present invention thisdrawback is obviated by arranging that the unlocking of the breech-boltshall be effected in a positive manner while the barrel moves backwithout the breech-bolt having to cooperate for this purpose, whereuponthe breech-bolt is moved back into the open position by reason of itsmomentum. For this purpose the tumbler-bolt 8, as shown in Figs. 1, 3,4, and 5, is provided with lateral projections or studs 12,which projectthrough apertures 9 in the lower 'edgeof the breech-' casing and whichengage under a guiding-rib 10 in the fixed framing 11, the saidguidingrib extending 'rearwardly at 101 with a downward inclination. Nowwhen the barrel on recoil moves back with the breech-casing the studs 12strike against the beveled end 101 of the guiding-rib 10, Fig. 4,whereby the tumbler-bolt is depressed, and thus without the cooperation.of the breech-bolt slides down' over the upper side of the bridge-piece19 and unlocks the breech bolt. moves back in the ordinary way into theopen position. After this the breech-bolt 7 is shot forward again by thespring 6 in the wellknown way. During this time the tumbler- The latterthen- ICU bolt is held down by the breech-bolt 7,*(that slides overit,-) and thus bears with its for- ,ward end against the bridge-piece 19in such tumbler-bolt in sliding with its under side over the inclinedupper side of the bridgepiece 19 is raised so that its forward end comesbehind the rear end of the breech-piece and locks the latter, as shownat Fig. 1. The same purpose may also be effected by extending thetumbler-bolt rearwardly beyond its pivot 13 and causing it to-bear withits rear end upon an inclined guide 14 on the frame 11, as in Fig. 6. Inthis construction, as in the previous one, during the rearward movementof the barrel the tumbler-bolt is turned with its forward end downwardby the incline It for the purpose of unlocking without requiring thecooperation of the breech-bolt, which does not begin to move back untilthe unlocking has been effected. The action in closing the breech-boltand locking it is the same as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5.

By means of the hereinbefore-described arrangement there is also gainedthe further advantage that the forward end of the tumbler-bolt, whichwhen the locking has been effected bears against the rear end of thebreech-bolt 7, can be made with a curvature concentric to the pivot-13,so that the rearward pressure of the breech-bolt is transmittedcentrally through the concentric abutment of the tumbler-bolt to thepivot 13 and the fixed framing.

In the firearm herein described there is also provided a device for thepurpose of preventing the firing-pin 15 from striking against thepercussion-cap of the cartridge so long as the breech-bolt is notcompletely closed and locked. This device consists in constructing thecross-bolt 16, which holds the firing-pin in its place in thebreech-bolt 7, with a tappet or shoulder 17, that engages with a notchin the firing-pin, and also with a lever-arm 18 at one vend thereof, asshown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9. This lever-arm is adapted to drop into arecess 30, Figs. 7 and 8, in the framing 11 or in the magazine-box whenthe breech has been closed and looked, as indicated in dotted lines inFigs. 7 and 9 in right-hand position, while at other times the lever 18bears on the tumbler-bolt or on a guide on the framing, as indicated inFig. 7 in full lines, where'- by the tappet or projection 17 is held ina position turned toward the rear, as at Fig. 9, left-hand position. Bythis means even if the hammer 21 should strike against the firingpin 15the latter will be arrested by the projection 17 before its point canreach the detonator, because the lever 18 is prevented from turningdownward, and consequently the projection 17 is locked in the backwardposition shown at the left handof Fig. 9; but when the breech-bolt isclosed and locked and the hammer strikes against the firing-pin thelatter will be free to shoot forward and fire the detonator, because thelever 18 is able to drop into the recess, and therefore the projection17 is able to give way to the firing-pin.

According to another improvement there is provided a device by means ofwhich the releasing of the hammer is prevented so long as thebreech-bolt is not closed and locked. This device consists in formingthe known detent-lever 20, which is pivoted to the trigger and serves torelease the hammer-sear 27, with an upward extension, whose upper endfaces a shoulder 22 on the tumbler-bolt or breech-casing. The positionof this shoulder 22 is'such that it will be situated over the upper endof the lever 20 so long as the tumbler-bolt or the breech-casing is inthe open position shown in Fig. 2 and will therefore prevent the lever20 from rising, and consequently the hammer from being released; butwhen the breech is closed and looked, as shown in Fig. 1', then theupper end of the lever-20 is clear of the projection 22, so that thelever 20 is free to rise when the trigger is pulled, and as it slidespast the rear edge of the projection 22 it will also be pressed backslightly as it slides along the rear edge of the projec tion 22. Thus bythe upward movement of the lever 20 the sear is lifted in the usual wayout of the cocking-notch of the hammer v21, so as to release the same,and at the same time the lever 20 is pressed back for a short distanceunder the rear end of the sear. When the sear has been lifted out of thecocking-notch of the hammer, the lever 20 is turned farther back bycontinued pressure on the trigger into the position indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 1, so as to allow the sear 27 to return to the positionshown in Fig. 2 without being hindered by lever 20 in the cockingoperation which takes place during the opening of the breech-closure.

In consequence of the backward movement of lever 20 when it is actedupon by the rear edge of the projection 22 the distance through which ithas to be moved rearward by the trigger after it has arrived in thehighest position is diminished, and thereby the pulling of the triggeris facilitated. If the trigger be then released, the sear-notch in'lever 20 will engage smoothly with the sear 27, and the firearm is againready for firing. I

The two devices last described serve to afford a double security againstpremature firing, because, first, the releasing of the hammer itself isprevented, and, secondly, even if such should take place the firing-pinwill not reach the detonator.

The barrel is inclosed in a wooden front stock-23 in such a manner thatit is movable longitudinally in the same, so that this front stock canbe fixed to the framing 11 without gindelring the longitudinal movementsof the arre v For the purpose of fixing the front stock 23 to theframing 11 there is fixed in the former an iron plate 24, Figs. 1 and 2,which carries at its rear end a nose 25, which when the magazine-box andthe lock-casing 4 are inserted into the framing engages with a hook 26on the casing, so that the said plate, and with it the front stock, aresecured thereby against longitudinal movement relatively to themagazine-box and the framing 11. The other parts of the firearm are ofknown construction and need not be further described.

I claim- 1. In an automatic small-arm the combination with thebreech-casing,the barrel secured thereto, a tumbler locking-bolt pivotedin the breech-casing, a breech-bolt adapted to slide longitudinally inthe breech-casing and a bridge-piece in the fixed framing adapted tosupport the front end of the tumbler lockingbolt, the said tumblerlockingbolt being adapted to come into and out of engagement with therear end of the said breech-bolt: of a guide or guides in the fixedframing inclined to the path of the breech-casing, and a projection orprojections on the tumbler lockingbolt engaging with such guide orguides, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In an automatic small-arm the combinationwith the fixed framing, thebreech-cas-.

ing, the barrel secured thereto and adapted to slide longitudinally inthe fixed framing the breech-bolt adapted to slide longitudinally in thebreech-casing, a firing-pin adapt- 3 5 ed to move longitudinally in thebreech-bolt,

a hammer adapted to strike against the rear end of the firing-pin, ahammer-sear, a trigger and a detent-lever pivoted to the trigger andadapted to engage with the ham mer-sear: 40 ofan abutment located on apart moving along with the breech-casing in front of the outer end ofsuch detent-lever and adapted to be struck by the free end of'such'detentlever at any position of the breech-casing ex- 45 cept theoutermost forward one, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A hammer adapted to strike against the rear end of the firing-pin, a.hammer-sear, a trigger and a detent-lever pivoted to the trig- 5o gerand adapted to engage with the hammersear: of an abutment on the tumblerlockingbolt pivoted in the breech-casing, such abutment being located infront of the outer end of suchdetent-lever andadapted to be struck 5 5by the free end of such detent-lever at any position of thebreech-casing except the.outermost forward one substantially as and forthe purpose described. I

In testimony whereof I affix 'my signature 60 in presence of twowitnesses.

FERDINAND BITTER VON lllANllLlCllER.

' Witnesses:

JoHN GEORGE HARDY, O. B. HUBST.

